26 March 2009 09:13

Viewed : 14

Sol Campbell could never have expected to be a casualty of the Ledley King-England debacle.
The Portsmouth defender has absolutely nothing to do with the issue and was no doubt happily minding his own business in the international break, before Harry Redknapp finally let out what he thought of him.
He said: 'At Portsmouth I had five players in the England squad.I never tried to persuade Sol not to go. I did not tell England he is too old and past it.'
Harry probably didn't mean for it to come out that way, but when he gets exercised about a subject - and no-one can say he wasn't worked up about King's call-up - it seems like he can't help himself.
He is right of course. Campbell has been old and past it for a long time. His decline is one of the reasons Portsmouth have struggled this season, but the outburst is pure Harry.
Like the Tottenham manager saying he wants King to go to next year's World Cup finals 'if England get to the finals and play in June, one game every week', when the tournament goes into July and has matches every few days.
Redknapp can be a very straight talker and if Campbell doesn't like the truth, he should at least thank his lucky stars he didn't get Harry's verdict in the same way the unfortunate Pompey player in THAT clip after he'd been hit by the ball.